Restaurant Robuust reopens in an 1850 café near Vollenhove
After nine years in the centre of Vollenhove, the Pot brothers have moved their kitchen into a former stable on the dike: 50 seats, a chef's table for 16, tasting menu from €65.
Restaurant Robuust, run by the brothers Raimon and Peter Ian Pot, reopened on 23 September in the former stable of Café De Moespot, in the hamlet of Moespot between Vollenhove and Blokzijl, in Overijssel. After nine years in the centre of Vollenhove, the kitchen now has room for 50 guests and a chef's table for 16.
The move is short in kilometres and large in square metres. Raimon Pot, 33, cooks; Peter Ian Pot, 36, runs the dining room. They opened Robuust in 2017 and cooked side by side until 2021, when Peter Ian moved to front of house. "Here we can spread our wings further," he said when the move was announced.
What restaurant Robuust serves in Moespot
The hatch was built for people passing through; the new dining room needs people who come on purpose.
The format has not changed. Restaurant Robuust serves a tasting menu of four to six courses, from €65, on a classic French base with seasonal produce. Fish comes directly from the auction in Urk, vegetables from the Noordoostpolder, and the cheese trolley carries only Dutch cheeses.
Beer carries as much weight as wine. The list runs to about 70 bottles, mostly Dutch, including those of the brothers' own brewery, Rock on Brewing, and a beer pairing is offered next to the wine pairing. In 2025 the restaurant won the beer-and-food competition of Euro-Toques Nederland.
The open kitchen fills the old stable, with a suspended chef's table for up to 16 guests. The other tables sit in a conservatory that looks out over the dike and the Vollenhovermeer. Michelin lists Robuust as an inspector's favourite; Gault&Millau gives it 13.5 points.
A café hatch for coachmen
The brothers took over Café De Moespot in 2022. Its interior dates from 1850, when the building was a stop for travellers, and is counted among the oldest in Overijssel. A hatch in the wall, still in place, was used to pass a hot meal to coachmen; the dish was known as a moespot, and the restaurant's own website now calls the café the oldest drive-thru in the world. It is a nickname rather than a record, but the hatch is real.
The café room itself stays as it is and will host small private parties and drinks. "We keep it in honour as a venue for small, private parties," Raimon Pot said.
Restaurant Robuust opens Wednesday to Saturday and takes bookings online; groups of more than six are asked to call. For the rest of the province's table, the AMUSE guide to what to eat in Zwolle, the Overijssel capital, lists dishes and addresses.
The hatch was built to feed people passing through. The stable behind it is betting that diners will now make the trip on purpose, four nights a week.
